Part of that $19 billion dollars goes directly to eligible health care providers as incentive payments. A portion, $677 million to be exact, goes to the approximate 70 Regional Extension Centers, which are tasked with providing assistance to Medicare and Medicaid doctors across the nation.

But the government has no power to enforce electronic medical records or electronic health record adoption in the private sector. But health care providers accepting Medicare and Medicaid will be subject to penalties in 2015 if they don’t comply.

Government programs, such as Medicare and Medicaid, account for a significant share of health care spending. If Medicare and Medicaid doctors become more efficient, reduce costs and increase patient safety, private sector physicians will need to follow suit to stay competitive.

What could you be eligible for?

Only CMS Medicare and Medicaid doctors can qualify for some of the $19 Billion incentive payments under the HITECH Act. Eligible health care providers can qualify for either the $44,000 Medicare incentive payments or the $63,750 Medicaid incentive money, but not both.

Obviously, since the Medicaid payments are higher, you’ll want to try to qualify for that first.

What’s the first Eligibility Criteria?

You are not a hospitalist or hospital-based physician. Meaning, less than 90% of your services are performed in a hospital inpatient or emergency room setting . If 89% of your services are in a hospital, you’re still in the running.

What’s Your Medicaid Eligibility Requirements For Getting Paid?

Medicaid doctors can receive $63,750 per physician in incentive money paid over 6 years. You qualify if in any 90 day period in the past year, you meet the following criteria

Physicians that qualify for the Medicare incentive money are paid over 4 years. You can receive $44,000 or 75% of your Medicare allowable charges for covered professional services – whichever is less. The payments are mad on a per physician basis.

And you are

Doctor of Medicine or Osteopathy

Doctor of Dental Surgery or Dental Medicine

Doctor of Podiatric Medicine

Doctor of Optometry

Chiropractor

CONGRATULATIONS!

if you passed the tests!

Now you need to follow the OTHER guidelines for demonstrating and documenting that they owe you electronic health record Incentive Payments.